


Meet the Family

by NinesByDawn



Series: Nest Building [21]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Meet the Family, Slice of Life, Sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26380612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinesByDawn/pseuds/NinesByDawn
Summary: Introducing your girlfriend is a little different when you have an unconventional family.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Raven
Series: Nest Building [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655041
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	Meet the Family

**Author's Note:**

> Reborn from the MCAT hiatus to finally finish this thing that I started in June
> 
> I usually don't incorporate other (read: more famous) DC characters into these fics because the whole point of the show was to be separate from larger DC continuity buuuuuut this was a fun idea that I wanted to try

Robin pressed a few buttons on his controls, simultaneously slowing the ship’s speed a bit and bringing up Raven’s face on his screen. She looked at him expectantly.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“You have the coordinates up, right?”

“Yeah. The navigation path’s online. And I’m following you anyways.”

“Good. We’re almost there. Less than an hour now, probably.” He glanced outside the window, the darkness of the night skyline starting to lighten from the bright lights of the city as they closed in on Gotham. He increased his altitude preemptively for flying over the city, and Raven followed suit with her ship as well.

“Once we’re there, we’ll probably just crash for the night,” Robin said. They’d chosen to time their arrival late at night in order to attract minimal attention, given that landing the ships in the Batcave in broad daylight would’ve undoubtedly brought exposure to them. They always could’ve flown commercial, but the T-Ship could still function without two of its smaller ships, and they’d only be gone a few days anyways. Having to pilot for several hours was worth not having to put up with the horrors of modern airlines.

“You think they’ve set something on fire by this point?” Raven commented. They were still visible on each other’s screens.

“Cyborg’s a great leader. You gotta have a little more faith,” he chuckled.

“I’m kidding, Boy Blunder. Although maybe not when it comes to Beast Boy.”

Robin shook his head and they continued their path, reaching the city proper. Raven glanced downwards at the many shimmering lights, mostly concentrated around a few central areas with other parts of the city darker. She assumed those were the rougher parts that gave the city its infamous reputation.

“My true home sweet home,” Robin remarked.

“How long has it been?”

“My first time back since leaving, actually,” he admitted. “Although we’ve obviously been in touch a lot over the years.”

“Nervous?”

“A little. Although I’m guessing not much has changed about where we’re staying. We’ll see about the city itself. I’m more concerned about what kind of shit he’s gonna give me.”

“What about the mission he mentioned?” Raven asked.

“Honestly, I think that’s just an excuse,” Robin replied. “If he really needed my help that badly he wouldn’t have asked politely if I was free this weekend. And if he needed your specific powers he would’ve asked for them before I asked if you could come.”

“Fair enough,” Raven said. “So anything else I should expect besides what you’ve told me?”

“Don’t ask how he knows something that you didn’t think he would,” Robin chuckled. “He just does.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Although I doubt he could surprise me.”

“You wouldn’t understand. It’s just something you have to experience.” The Batcave grew closer on their radars, and the two ships slowed their speeds further. “Anyways, you should also know not to take any of his offhand comments personally. Although he does remind me of how _someone_ I know tends to talk to their teammates too,” he teased.

“We’ll see how he reacts to me, I guess,” Raven said.

“He’ll be more polite with you than with me, I’m sure,” Robin grumbled.

“I’m looking forward to this legendary library,” Raven said, cracking a smile. “If it’s all it’s cracked up to be, I might need to stay around more than just a few days.”

“I’ll leave you with them. I’m sure I won’t be able to stand being around Bruce more than that long,” Robin remarked. They shared a light laugh as they continued cruising towards their destination. Robin kept an eye on their positions, and finally, when the screen showed them nearly on top of the location, he inputted a series of commands, opening a communication line.

“This is a private frequency, so I suggest whoever is calling identify themselves promptly,” a voice answered.

“Hi, Alfred,” Robin answered. “Robin’s coming back home. Open the gate, please. Sorry for keeping you up this late waiting.”

“Not to worry. Welcome back, Master Dick.” The ships descended into the remote clearing, slowing all the way down to a slight hovering speed.

“Trust me on this. Just follow me through the waterfall and go slow. It gets a little narrow towards the end,” Robin instructed.

“Got it,” Raven said. They flew through the torrential waterfall at the center of the clearing, entering into a long tunnel. As they did, Raven looked around at the structure. The tunnel appeared natural at first, but as they got deeper, more lights and metal fixtures started to line the walls. They took a few turns through various passageways, before emerging into a hangar. There were empty spots next to the sleek, giant Batwing for them to land their ships. Once they did, Robin immediately sprang out of the cockpit and stretched, while Raven floated down from her ship. They both heard the sound of brisk footsteps and turned to spot Alfred, dressed as usual in an immaculate and spotless tuxedo, walking up to them.

“It’s been quite some time, Master Dick,” he said. “I was beginning to wonder if you would ever set foot in your hometown again.”

“I figured now was a good time,” Robin said, stepping in and giving him a quick embrace. “There’s nothing too exciting going on in our lives. Might as well see what’s changed here.”

“And your friend?” Alfred asked, turning to Raven.

“Yes!” Robin said. “Raven, as you already know, this is Alfred. Alfred, this is Raven, fellow Teen Titan and my, uh, partner. As Bruce probably told you.”

“Nice to meet you, Alfred,” Raven said, smiling and shaking his hand.

“Likewise to you, Miss Raven,” Alfred said. “Master Dick holds you in quite high regard, from what I understand. Welcome to our establishment.”

“Thank you.”

“I can take your luggage,” Alfred said, picking up the bags they had set down and starting to walk to the elevator.

“Come on, you don’t need to do that,” Robin chided, grabbing them from him. “We’ve been through this. We can take care of our own stuff.”

“If you insist,” Alfred conceded. The three of them made their way through the headquarters, Raven looking around and taking in the surroundings.

“Is he out right now?” Robin asked.

“Master Bruce is on patrol, yes,” Alfred responded.

“Does he need help? I’m not tired. Raven?”

“I’m good as well.”

“Yeah. We can go out if needed,” Robin offered.

“I’m not sure you’ll add much value,” Alfred said. “Master Bruce is merely on routine patrol. He said he did not expect the mobs to be particularly active tonight. And you’ll spend half the night just trying to find and catch up to him anyways.”

“Fine. We’ll get some rest then,” Robin said, as they got in the elevator. “But let us know if he needs any backup at all.”

“I will do so.” They reached the actual level of Wayne Manor, and the two birds followed Alfred up the steps.

“You weren’t exaggerating when you described this place,” Raven commented, looking around again. An elaborate electric chandelier hung in the lobby, and the walls were adorned with giant family portraits. “You grew up quite lavishly.”

“I didn’t exactly live up here most of the time,” Robin chuckled. “I was sleeping down in the cave on a cot. Had to stay prepared.”

“I’ve prepared your room for your stay,” Alfred said, as they stopped at a door about halfway down the hallway. “Miss Raven, if you’ll follow me, the guest bedroom is around the corner.”

“Good night,” Raven said, as Robin stopped at his room and put his bags inside.

He poked his head out of the door and gave her a nod. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She nodded in return before following Alfred. After rounding the corner and coming to the end of another hallway, Alfred stepped up to the door and held it open, showing Raven in.

“Our guest room is yours for your stay here,” he said. The room was spacious, a king size bed with a canopy the main attraction of it all. Various dressers and mirrors lined the walls, and another door led into the pristine bathroom with a large tub.

“Wow,” Raven murmured, setting her things down and looking around.

“Miss Raven, if you need anything, just dial on the phone by your bedside,” Alfred said, staying in the doorway.

“Understood. Thank you for…all the hospitality,” she said, turning back to him.

“My pleasure.” Alfred shut the door behind him and Raven sat down on the bed, suddenly realizing her weariness. She’d been on a bit of a high after taking in everything she’d seen in both the Batcave and the manor, but now she felt the drain on her mentally from piloting for so long. She folded her legs and closed her eyes, beginning to meditate. Unpacking and cleaning up could wait.

* * *

Robin awoke the next morning to a handful of violet hair in his face. Stirring, he realized his arm was pinned and shifted accordingly, wincing as he freed his arm and the circulation came rushing back.

“I know you have that huge bed in the guest room, and yet you still end up over here,” he muttered. Turning his body away from her, he checked the time and noticed it wouldn’t be long before they’d have to meet Bruce and go do whatever they were needed for. Rolling back towards Raven, he reached a hand out to shake her awake, before stopping it mid-air. Smirking, he instead stuck some fingers out, leaning over her and placing both of his hands on her sides. Her eyes shot open after a couple of seconds, and the gasps and cries came shortly after as he didn’t hold back.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” he said with a grin, still prodding her.

“Idiot.” She held up a hand and locked his hands together with dark energy, then flipped away from him, purposely pulling the sheets off of him as she did.

“We actually do need to get up soon,” he said. “Now, if you’ll let my hands go, I can go ahead and get ready.”

“Not a chance,” she muttered.

“You’re not even supposed to be here. Just go back to your room then if you think I’m gonna tickle you again.”

“I have a better idea, actually.” She turned back to him and wrapped her arms around his body, burying her face in his chest. Robin awkwardly held his hands above his head to make room, letting out an audible sigh.

“Raven. I’m serious.”

“I’m tired,” she groaned into his chest.

“It’s just jetlag. You’ll get over it soon. I’m sure you have a spell for it or something. Come on,” he urged.

“Fine.” She let his hands go and rolled over the top of him, before rolling off the bed and levitating off to the side of it for a moment, finally planting her feet. Robin rolled his eyes at the display.

“If only the others knew how you act around me.”

“They’d never believe you even if you told them,” she replied. She eyed his open bag on the ground, a patch of blue showing out of the top of it, and reached in, pulling out the garment that had caught her eye. “You brought this? I thought it wasn’t done.”

“I figured this would be a good time to make the change,” Robin said with a smile. “And Bruce likes to keep his memorabilia, as you’ll find out soon.”

The two birds headed down to the Batcave after getting through the start of their morning. As the elevator opened, they spotted the bright light of the main computer some distance away, the man they had come to see sitting in his chair and facing away from them. The sounds of keystrokes punctuated the constant humming of the various technologies in the Batcave.

“Bruce,” Robin called out, as they began their stride towards him. “Bruce,” he repeated, as they got closer. The chair didn’t turn an inch, as he kept typing away and bringing up different files on the screen. “It’s not nice to ignore your guest, you know,” he said, rolling his eyes.

The chair suddenly spun around and a dark blur came at them with lightning speed, accompanied by a whoosh in the air. Raven stopped it just in front of her face, still wide-eyed as they identified the object as a Batarang. Robin turned back to Batman, now facing them with his arms crossed, and glared at him.

“What the hell was that for?!”

“Runs in the family, doesn’t it?” Raven muttered, holding the gadget with two fingers.

“Good reaction time,” Batman said. He got up and stood in front of them. Robin’s glare softened only slightly, while Raven maintained a neutral expression. “Welcome, Raven. And…welcome back, Dick.”

“Good to be back,” Robin muttered. Raven stood there a little awkwardly, unsure of what to say. There was an aura about Batman that she hadn’t quite expected. His presence felt imposing, and she was sure that was how many others had felt too.

“Raven, if you’ll give us some time first,” Batman said, addressing her. “I realize it’s abrupt. But I need to speak with Dick about a few things. I’ll debrief you on your role tonight later.”

“Just let me know when you need me,” she said, and turned to head for the elevator. Robin watched her leave, then turned back the other way, where Batman was already back to the computer, bringing up more files and maps on the screen.

“Are you using protection, Dick?”

Robin stared at him for a few seconds, then narrowed his eyes. “Really? _That’s_ the first thing you ask me? Not ‘how are you doing after all these years’, ‘is everything under control in Jump’, no, it’s about my sex life.”

“It’s a yes or no question,” he replied, without taking his eyes off of the screen.

Robin sighed. “Well, yes. I mean, most of the time she takes care of it, so I don’t really have to do anything, but—”

“Given that you ignored my lectures about dating within the team, I couldn’t be sure you were following anything else I told you.”

Robin rolled his eyes. He was always being a hardass. “What do you need us here for, anyway?” he asked, changing the subject. He glanced at the screen, which showed profiles of several people as well as pictures of evidence from several sites.

“Riddler’s been active again, scheming throughout the city,” Batman replied.

“Robbing banks and leaving cryptic notes for you, I assume?”

“That’s just the beginning this time, it appears. He may be trying to form some sort of alliance with some of our other old enemies.” He brought up another screen, with diagrams linking recent activity to profiles like Penguin and Black Mask.

“Fun times. So what’s the plan?”

Batman tossed him a tablet, and Robin laid his eyes on it and started scrolling through the building blueprints displayed on it. “Review that. It has everything you need to know on it. With both of your help, we should be able to put a stop to whatever they’re planning a lot quicker.”

“So…what do you need Raven for then?” Robin asked, a little confused. “This looks pretty straightforward to me.”

“You were the one who asked if she could come,” Batman said, still typing away. “I never said anything about needing any of your teammates.”

“…sure, I guess,” Robin muttered. He took a seat and kept reviewing the data. The two of them sat in silence for a while, Batman occasionally getting up to go check on equipment or pick up a gadget from somewhere else in the Batcave.

“You and Raven will go in first and station yourselves around the perimeter,” Batman said. Robin looked up from the tablet. “Unfortunately, I have a mandatory gala to attend tonight. Don’t make any moves until I’m able to join you.”

“Bruce, we can handle it,” Robin protested. “We might be finished up by the time you get over there, honestly.”

“From what I’ve seen from the Titans, it looks like you haven’t done a stealth mission in a while,” Batman dismissed. “Or done anything lately, for that matter.”

“The team’s still in tip-top shape. I have them going maximum effort in training every day. And it’s not like I’ve forgotten everything you’ve taught me.”

“You’re not the leader of this team, Dick. It might be good for you to take orders again for once.”

Robin sighed again. The smugness concealed by the calculating tone of his voice was his trademark. “Fine. But don’t be surprised if it’s a while before I come back next time.”

“Here’s something that might put you in a better mood,” Batman said. He got up and motioned to Robin, and he followed him over. Batman stopped at a vault and unlocked it, then pulled out a series of devices, along with a small remote.

“New toys? For me?” Robin said, smirking a little.

“There’s a series of generators that are powering the security system, as you’ve read. This—” Batman said, handing him the remote, “goes in your suit and can be used to fly the EMPs around remotely to position them. Less risk of you having to go and set them everywhere yourself. Set them up and fire them when we’re ready to go in.”

“Guess it’s not all bad being back home.” Robin looked through the new gadgets for a little bit, testing out the remote control function a few times.

“That’s all I have for you for now. Do me a favor and bring Raven down here. I want to speak with her privately.”

“Are you gonna confirm that I’m telling the truth about protection?”

“Possibly.”

“What else is so important that you can’t speak to her while I stay down here?”

“You should go catch up with Alfred. I understand there’s a decent amount of cleaning to do around the house,” Batman said, ignoring his question. Robin shrugged, already knowing it was futile to argue. He picked up his things and started back up to the manor.

* * *

Raven had stayed in her room after being sent up. She didn’t want to be rude and explore the manor on her own, and besides, she was never going to complain about more alone time. After about an hour of meditation, she opened up a book, her head resting against the headboard as she laid lazily on the bed. She hadn’t gotten much into it before a soft knock came at the door.

“Yes?” she asked, answering the door.

“I hope I’m not interrupting you, Miss Raven,” Alfred said, waiting outside.

“Uh, no, not at all,” she replied with a soft smile.

“Master Dick has let me know that you do seem to quite enjoy a good book,” Alfred said. “I was just about to do some cleaning in the library. Would you care for me to show you there?”

“Yes, that’d be great,” Raven said. She followed him down the hallway, until they reached the stairs. They then went down a floor and Alfred turned into another hallway, this one wider and with many paths leading off of both sides.

“Has Master Dick been treating you well?” Alfred asked, as he turned again into a more dimly lit corridor.

“Most of the time,” Raven replied. “He’s still very stubborn. And obsessive once he puts his mind to something.”

“Yes, that certainly does sound like Master Dick,” Alfred mused.

“I guess you took care of him, so you would know.”

“That is exactly the case, unfortunately,” Alfred said. “I’m sure he’s become better as he’s grown older. I can’t imagine if the Richard who I had to routinely scold for using his gadgets around the house and damaging expensive family relics was still the same person that your team has to listen to.” Raven let out a light laugh at that as they entered the library. She looked around, seeing the many shelves aligned next to each other, and craned her head up, trying to see just how high the shelves reached. Taking a few more steps around, she weaved in between the shelves, trying to process just how many books were available.

“Perks of being a billionaire, huh,” she said to herself.

“Feel free to look at any book available to you,” Alfred called out. “I am going to touch up these shelves. It has been quite a while since they were last dusted.” Raven started looking through one of the shelves, but out of the corner of her eye, spotted Alfred using a ladder to climb to the top of one of the other shelves with a duster. Putting the book back in place, she floated to the top of the shelf where he was.

“I could take care of this if you want,” she offered. Alfred glanced at her, momentarily surprised to see her floating in the air, but then quickly regained his composure. No doubt he had seen much stranger things than that.

“No need to worry, Miss Raven. You’re our guest for the weekend. You should take your time and enjoy the amenities. This is not something too strenuous for me to finish.”

“I do the chores back home. It gets done quicker with my powers,” Raven said. She glanced over the top of the shelf, eyeing the rows of shelves behind it. “This looks like a lot of dusting to do. You’ve been very hospitable to me. I don’t mind having something to do.”

“Very well,” Alfred said, handing her the duster. He started climbing down from the ladder. “I do invite you to have some tea after you’re finished. Perhaps a game of chess as well?”

Raven smiled amusedly. “Rob—I mean, Dick really did let you know about everything I normally do, didn’t he?”

“Master Dick had a suspicion that we may enjoy each other’s company,” Alfred said, returning her smile. He left to go make tea, and Raven quickly finished the cleaning, her powers controlling multiple objects at once and making multitasking an easy affair.

Raven and Alfred were enjoying their time discussing Artemis Fowl novels and contemplating their moves on the chessboard when Robin entered the library.

“I figured I’d find you two here,” he said. “Raven, Bruce wants to see you.”

She nodded and stood up. “I guess we’ll have to finish this game later, Alfred.”

“Not to worry. I’m sure there will be plenty of time to do so.”

“Shall we?” she said, turning to Robin.

“He wants to speak to you alone, actually,” Robin said, shrugging. “You know the way back?” Raven raised an eyebrow, but then nodded and left for the Batcave.

“Well, Master Dick,” Alfred said. “Your friend was kind enough to finish the cleaning I had planned to do in here. Perhaps you could make yourself useful and help me with the other rooms of the manor.”

“Seriously?” he groaned.

“This is your home, so the least you could do is assist in keeping it a place we can be proud of,” Alfred said, handing him a duster. “Get started down this hallway.” Robin shook his head and trudged out of the library, getting started on his chores.

* * *

“You wanted to see me?” Raven asked, walking up to the Batcomputer. Batman turned around in his chair and got up.

“Raven,” he said. “I have a debriefing for you on our mission tonight. But first, if you’ll follow me.” She followed his lead and they exited the cave, entering a state-of-the-art training room with weights and workout equipment lined against the walls. A large, empty ring was in the middle of it all, and that was where Batman stopped.

“What…is this?” she asked uncertainly.

“Dick tells me he’s been training you in martial arts. I want to see the results of that training.” He set up on one edge of the ring, squaring in a fighting stance. Raven stood frozen for a moment, then nodded hesitantly and made her way over to the other side.

“Do you want me to use my powers?”

“Not for now. If I recall, your interest stems from your desire to be prepared in case you don’t have access to your powers.” She nodded in agreement. “Good. That’s how you should be thinking. But you’re welcome to use your full strength in later sparring sessions.”

The two of them started, both circling around the edges of the ring. Raven tried to calm herself and analyze his position as Robin had told her. She couldn’t tell any abnormal movements from him. He seemed to be moving deliberately, as if he was in full control of not just himself, but also the situation. Raven wondered if she should make the first move. They circled for a few more moments, and she sensed he wasn’t in any rush. Making up her mind, she leaned in a little closer, and threw out a jab at his chest. Her fist was blocked by his arm with impressive speed, and she recoiled quickly, wincing at the pain. He was wearing armor—of course it would hurt. Recomposing herself, Raven swung out with a roundhouse kick, but her foot caught thin air as he leapt over her. She felt an elbow in her back and stumbled forward, before spinning around to find where he was. Batman was still in his normal stance, as if nothing had happened.

“You’re surprisingly nervous for someone who spends so much time meditating,” he commented. Raven narrowed her eyes, but he was right. Exhaling, she crept closer to him again. She scanned his pose for an opening—maybe if she could get him to block a low strike, she could follow with a swing to his upper body. Raven went for a kick to his knee, then quickly moved in, aiming to strike him with an uppercut. However, Batman blocked the kick by grabbing her foot with one hand, then pulled her in, catching her fist with his other hand and raising her body above his head, slamming her into the ground. She rolled away from him and groaned, wincing as she got up again, trying to shake it off.

“You’re not anticipating,” Batman said. “You’re reacting.” They circled some more, Raven’s back still aching. “I am just an opponent, Raven. And I suspect you don’t need my help with controlling your emotions. I know you can do better than this.” Raven exhaled again and tried to focus. He was right. This wasn’t fundamentally any different from all the times she’d sparred with Robin. Batman finally decided to initiate an attack, and she found herself on her heels again. He was extremely fast, and even with her constructing barriers there always seemed to be another fist or foot poking around to try and deliver the next blow. Gritting her teeth, Raven pressed forward with a barrier, pushing him back towards the middle of the ring. She dropped the barrier for a split second and managed to land a punch to his chest, knocking him back a few feet. The moment was short-lived as he charged back in, launching another flurry of punches and kicks at her.

_Focus! Just be patient_ , Raven thought. After Batman went for a kick to her face, she saw her opening. Ducking under his foot, she spun and generated more power, aiming a kick of her own to his chin. Her heel connected with his jaw and sent him flying to the other edge of the ring, where he laid there and groaned.

“Are you okay?” Raven asked, hurrying over. “I can heal you if need be—”

“No need,” Batman said, springing up. He rubbed his jaw a little, then looked at her. “Quite an impact. Natural or acquired strength?”

“Natural,” Raven said, shrugging. She scolded herself for worrying about him. This was freaking Batman she was sparring with.

“Quite a potent skillset,” Batman commented. “I can see why Dick holds you in such high regard.” They sparred on for a while longer. Even with her natural healing, Raven found herself tiring and feeling sore all over her body. Keeping up with Batman was unlike any physical training she’d ever done.

“How has Dick been as a leader?” Batman asked nonchalantly, while continuing to bombard her with strikes. Raven panted, trying to keep up her defense.

“He…can be…annoying at times,” she said between labored breaths. “And…intense. But I’m sure he learned that from you.”

“Good to hear,” Batman replied. “You should always be keeping sharp, even with a relatively cleaned-up city.” The fight continued on, with Batman asking more questions about her life as a Titan and crimefighting. As she began to take more hits, she realized he was trying to distract her and make her drop her guard, and tried to tune him out as best as possible. Finally, they finished, and an exhausted Raven followed Batman back to the Batcave, where she slumped down in a chair as Batman got back to working on the computer. It seemed like he had hardly even broken a sweat.

“So what was the point of that?” Raven asked. “Do my fighting skills need work?”

“No.” He turned to her. “On the contrary, Dick’s trained you very well. Your fundamentals are solid. I wish we had more time today, but I want to show you some techniques in the coming days, if you want.”

“Works for me.”

“Raven,” Batman said. His voice took a more serious tone, and she met his gaze. “If you don’t mind discussing this…the demon.”

“…yes,” she said hesitantly. “What do you want to know?”

“How are you faring?” he asked. “After all those events.”

“Did Dick tell you everything?”

“No. I figured it’s what you were struggling with,” he said. Raven looked around, not meeting his eyes, and then took a deep breath.

“I think I’m managing it well,” she began. “I’m…happier, I guess you could say. Which I didn’t think was possible until recently. My meditation’s more productive.”

“But you’re not where you want to be. His influence hasn’t fully left you yet,” Batman finished for her. She looked down, staring at her palms.

“Correct.”

“Have you figured out how to get there?”

“I’m still trying,” Raven admitted. “But—I’m hopeful I’ll find it eventually. And I’m hopeful because…Dick’s by my side. And he’s the one who’s given me that strength to keep pushing.”

“I have something that may help you,” Batman said. He got up and Raven followed him over to a corner of the Batcave. Pressing a few buttons on his arm, a vault emerged from the ground. Batman unlocked the vault and pulled out a small, tattered book from it. The cover was red and a faded, albeit still distinct Mark of Scath was traced on it. Raven instinctively flinched at the sight of it, but yet again reminded herself to remain calm.

“That’s…”

“I recovered it when I was investigating a different cult here in Gotham,” Batman said, holding the book out. “It appears to be a manual or bible of sorts. Belongs to the Cult of Blood, which, if I recall, your mother was inducted into.” Raven took the book from him and ran her hand gently over the cover, slight shivers going up her spine.

“I don’t really like dwelling on my past,” she murmured. “But, if there are answers in here…”

“If you get to understand more about him, even though he’s gone, you may find the key to achieving the state you want to be in,” Batman said. “And like you said, Dick will support you every step of the way.”

“Thanks for this,” Raven said, holding the book in both of her hands. They sat back down in front of the computer, where Raven contemplated the book as well as the person she was in the presence of. It certainly had been a lot to take in in less than a day. Her thoughts were interrupted by Batman handing her some files and a tablet and starting her debriefing. They got technical again, her asking questions about her role and Batman also explaining general information about Gotham and the enemies they were to go up against that she hadn’t fought before. Finally, she felt ready for the mission and got up to leave.

“Raven,” Batman said. She stopped and turned around to face him. Batman looked off to the side for a moment, before making eye contact with her again. “I know this isn’t rational for me to worry about with you, but…take good care of him, will you?”

Raven paused, then smiled. “I will, Bruce.” 

* * *

As Dick pressed the mask to his face and slotted the batons in his back, he grinned. “Showtime tonight. You ready to be outfit twins for the first time?”

“You’re such a dork,” Raven said, rolling her eyes. “But…it does look good.”

“We’ll drop this off with Bruce, and then we’ll get on with our mission.” The two birds exited his room and made their way for the cave again.

“Just don’t get too excited about all your new toys. You’ll always be Boy Blunder to me,” Raven remarked.

“What did Bruce say?” Dick asked. “And what did you guys do, anyways? You were down there a long time.”

“Some important things. I’ll tell you later after we finish cleaning things up in the city,” Raven said.

“What does he think of you?”

Raven glanced at him. “He likes me,” she said with a small smile, after a moment.

“Does he now?”

“Yeah.” She glanced at him again, and smirked. “I think he likes me more than you.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Dick said with a sigh. They took the elevator down once more, and when they entered the cave, they found Batman as Bruce Wayne, dressed in a tuxedo. He looked Dick up and down and raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t tell me about this.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise. You don’t object, do you?”

Batman paused for a few moments, then the stoic expression reappeared on his face. “No. The only thing I object to is that you two are supposed to be leaving soon.”

“I know. I just had something that belongs to you,” Dick said. He tossed a set of folded clothes to Batman. His Robin uniform. “I won’t be needing this anymore.”

And with that, Nightwing and Raven left for the Gotham night.


End file.
